A consolation is an experience that causes you to feel fully alive, at peace, joyful, happy, comforted, whole, connected, your best self, etc. - an experience in which you feel close God.

A desolation is an experience that causes you to feel drained of energy, frustrated, irritated, angry, sad, sorrowful, alone, isolated, unaccepted, fragmented, less than your best self, etc. - an experience in which you feel far away from God.

The tricky thing about desolation is that even though it is an uncomfortable and sometimes distressing experience and we may feel as if God is far away, God is still very near. So the gift is praying with the desolation, telling God about your experience and asking for God’s grace in the experience. (It is also good to give God thanks for the consolation experiences.) God shows up in desolations AND consolations. It’s just that it’s easier to “experience” God in consolations and we often move away from God in desolations.

More about the Examen

This is a version of the five-step Daily Examen that St. Ignatius practiced.

The Ignatian Examen, or the Daily Examen is a contemplative prayer led by memory. Rather than a prayer utilized to clear one’s conscience, the Examen is a prayer of consciousness. During an Examen, one reflects on the current day, focussing on memories from the events of the day as a way of recognizing the God's Presence.

Often, the Examen awakens the practitioner to the Divine through routine or ordinary moments to illustrate the subtle and surprising ways God speaks. This prayer practice helps cultivate and refine discernment as well as an awareness of God’s presence.

Traditionally there are five movements or steps in the Examen. The following steps outlined below are adapted from the technique outlined in the Spiritual Exercisesdeveloped by Ignatius Loyola in the 16th century. St. Ignatius required his companions, the Jesuits, to practice the Examen daily at noon and before turning in for sleep.

This Examen guide was developed by Chris Heuertz, a fellow Christian who runs Gravity, a center for contemplative activism. More about Chris and his work can be found at https://gravitycenter.com

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